PNC Alexandria Half Marathon — Race Results
April 26, 2026
Race at a Glance
After 12 weeks of training, I ran the PNC Alexandria Half Marathon. I had a great time on race day with my friend Davis. It was a blast and I'm super glad I entered, even though I was very happy when the race was over.
Overall, my motivation for this race was to up my training a bit from my previous 2025 goal of running 30 miles every month. That 2025 goal allowed me to get to the place where training for a half felt like a logical next step more than a lifestyle altering goal. Previously, I've always viewed half marathons as too hard for a non-runner but not hard enough to make a big goal of mine. An admittedly kinda toxic view, but nonetheless kept me from signing up in the past. In some ways I stand by it. Going from struggling at 2 miles to training for a half within 3-6 months would have been way too much for me, and I would have wanted to drop running as a hobby afterwards. I'm really happy that my 2025 goal got me into the habit of running because it could have been just grinding for a goal.
I encourage anyone to choose a half marathon as a goal to achieve but also warn against treating it as a way to "prove something" to yourself. More importantly, I'd encourage finding an approachable goal of consistency that can hopefully have lasting impacts to make future goals less daunting.
So, how was my race? Happily, I met my goal of a sub 2 hour time. This is largely due to starting out with Davis who crushed a consistent 8 minute pace the whole way. Pushing at the start helped me mentally, but I don't believe it is optimal race strategy. Overall a great run.
There were a few rough patches. I had an unfortunate journey into the woods to "water some plants" on my journey. The lines for the porta-potties were insane before the race and at the checkpoints. Felt like a goofy thing to do but it had to be done. The final 2 miles gassed me, but it was wonderful to see my wife and friends cheer me on at the end. The cheering didn't make me any faster, but definitely made it less of a grind.
I absolutely love my results. Finished above average but below the median. As a person who loves to grab a new hobby, become decent, then move onto the next, that's the target. Strong enough of a result to be proud of without sacrificing too much of my other interests.
Below is some analysis from the race.
Compare Against
Distribution
Splits
Splits were taken at 6.78 mi, 12 mi, and the final 1.1 mi. This shows the pace per segment vs. the group average.